Compare towns
Bath vs Ellsworth vs Exeter vs Brunswick
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Exeter has the most affordable homes ($167k median).
Brunswick has the most expensive homes ($376k median).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Bath | Ellsworth | Exeter | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,657 |
1,093Lowest |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 about the ME average |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Exeter and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Ellsworth and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5% ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 7% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$84,408±$12kHighest 13% above ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
| Exeter and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
$166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
$995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 27% above ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #31 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME | — | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Ellsworth Public Schools | — | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Ellsworth High School | — | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.7 |
— | 10.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 5 photos → | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.